


I Did Not See That Coming

by Summerwolf



Series: Whumptober 2020 [17]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blackmail, College Student Peter Parker, Crying, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Peter Parker, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Sad Tony, Scared Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Whumptober 2020, Worried Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27068212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Summerwolf/pseuds/Summerwolf
Summary: Whumptober day 17 - Blackmail, Dirty Secret, Wrongfully Accused.---“How much about Tony do you know? Really know?” She had asked, sounding interested, but also incredibly patronising, the entire thing done in a way which told Peter she knew exactly what she was doing, and that she was doing it on purpose too."A fair bit," Peter answered with a shrug, not liking where the conversation seemed to be heading, but knowing it would be rude to just walk off. Until she did something really bad, he would have to stay."So you don't know what he's been doing while you've been away then," she laughed, the sound like the crowing of the raven, "what am I saying? Of course you don't. You're practically his kid, and even Tony Stark has some decency."
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Whumptober 2020 [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1946926
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	I Did Not See That Coming

The party was in full swing by the time Peter turned up, half drunk adults lounging around while some of the slightly less drunk ones either stood around talking or played games in the attempt to reach a level of drunkenness that would make their existence any more tolerable. Peter had been more than surprised to find Tony’s parties like this the first time he was invited. He’d never expected that an adult party, filled with adults who with this much money, could be so much like a college party.

“Ahh, Peter,” Tony grinned as he walked over, apparently still sober enough to keep his words from being slurred and to still stand normally without swaying. Peter had seen Tony drunk more ties than he probably wanted to over the years, most of the time just from him going to SI when Tony hadn’t been expecting him, and seeing some of his mentors more worrisome coping mechanisms. Things had got a lot better over the years and Tony barely used alcohol anymore, but Peter did know that he’d been struggling with Peter going off to college, and all he could hope was that his friends had managed to keep him on the straight and narrow. It was one of Peter’s biggest worries, but he knew that Tony hated it when people worried about him, so he kept it all quiet, made sure not to say anything and just keep an eye out.

“Hey Tony,” Peter grinned, accepting the drink Tony offered him as they slowly started walking to the nearest balcony, both of them wanting some fresh air even though it had been mere minutes since Peter had arrived. Tony’s parties could get rather stuffy with that many millionaire egos in once place. “How’ve you been? It feels like ages since we’ve talked!” Peter had only arrived back for the holidays that morning, and had barely had the time to catch up with May, never mind meet up with Tony.

“Oh, same old,” Tony sighed, like he nearly always did when Peter asked about him. “I’ve missed you kid. You need to visit more often.” His tone was fond, light and breezy, but Peter could hear the feeling behind it, hear the sincerity and how much he really had missed Peter while he had been away.

“Yeah, I really do,” Peter agreed, leaning against the balcony railing as they both went quiet, staring off into the darkness. It was a comfortable silence, both of them just enjoying the cool breeze and the quiet they could only get this high up, the distant sound of traffic little more than background buzzing, especially with the wind to contend with.

“It’s nice up here,” Tony sighed after what could have been hours, “Peaceful. You can forget all your troubles, like they are just cars on a distant road.” Peter agreed with him, barely even thinking what he was saying through, but somewhere at the back of his mind he paused, internally questioning what troubles Tony could be wanting to escape.

\---

It must have been three hours later that it happened. Peter was just starting to feel the alcohol, four, maybe five, glasses of champagne in, his spider powers stopping alcohol from hitting him quite so hard. He’d just finished a conversation with another MIT graduate who had studied with Tony, he’d been annoying, but at least a little interesting, and then Peter had gone to get some more champagne.

And then  _ she  _ walked over.

Peter hadn't known who she was, still didn’t to be honest, but she had walked with an air of someone who knew what they were doing, and had gone straight to Peter like she knew exactly who he was.

She had made small talk for a while, but when Peter started to leave, she called him back.

“How much about Tony do you know? Really know?” She had asked, sounding interested, but also incredibly patronising, the entire thing done in a way which told Peter she knew exactly what she was doing, and that she was doing it on purpose too.

"A fair bit," Peter answered with a shrug, not liking where the conversation seemed to be heading, but knowing it would be rude to just walk off. Until she did something really bad, he would have to stay.

"So you don't know what he's been doing while you've been away then," she laughed, the sound like the crowing of the raven, "what am I saying? Of course you don't. You're practically his kid, and even Tony Stark has some decency."

"What are you saying?"

"You're glorious mentor has been doing some… less than legal activities while you've been away," she practically purred, running a single perfectly manicured nail down Peter's arm, "and unless you want the entire world to know about it, you best do what I say."

"You're blackmailing me?" Peter barked, matching his volume to be the same as hers - just slightly under the general hum of the rest of the party - to stop anyone else from hearing their conversation.

"Not blackmail per say. I just want to help you keep Dear Tony's dirty secrets out of the like light."

She didn't even say what those secrets were, and looking back, Peter really should have noticed that. But then, less than a day into his visit back from college, something clearly different about Tony and the loud beat of the party round them, it hadn't even crossed his mind that he should fact check.

\---

Peter curled up tighter under his covers, his pillow crushed to his chest as he stared at the blurry screen through his tears. It was two months after the party, just two short months, and Peter already wished he had never talked to that woman.

He didn't know how she got his phone number, but somehow she did, and she never hesitated to remind him what - or rather who - was on the line if he didn't text back.

At first it had started simple, small things which had lulled Peter into a false sense of security, but then it got worse and worse and worse and the newest text, the one Peter had been silently staring at for at least the last hour, was the worst one yet.

He had no response. No way out of it, yet there was no way he was doing it either.

Unstoppable force verses immovable object with Peter trapped right in-between them.

"Peer? Underoos what's going on?" It was Tony. Tony was in his house, in his room. Tony was here and Peter had no idea why but he also had no idea what to do now. His eyes were red, his face streaked with tears, he couldn't face Tony without him seeing straight through Peter.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Peter replied in what had to be the least convincing voice he had ever heard, and he was the one who said it. He couldn't even convince himself, never mind Tony.

"No you're not. Now please, just tell me what's wrong. I can't help you unless you tell me what's happening." Tony was talking patiently, the bed dipping as he sat down near Peter's feet, clearly ready to wait for a while for Peter to be ready to talk. He wasn't going to go away without an answer, and Peter knew better than to fight Tony's stubbornness.

Holding his breath as though it would give him courage, Peter slipped his phone from under the covers, leaving the text conversation up so it would be the first thing Tony saw when he picked it up.

For a long minute there was near silence, no words, just the occasional sound of discontent from Tony as he read through it all, and the laboured breathing of Peter as he tried to get his tears under control.

"Oh Peter," Toby muttered sorrowfully, "I'm so sorry. I'll help you sort this out. Just- who were you protecting?"

"What?" Peter asked, poking his head out from under the covers to stare at his mentor.

"Well, clearly she's blackmailing you, but who are you protecting?"

"You?" Peter couldn't help but get the idea he was missing something, the squint on Tony's face telling him that something didn't add up.

"Me? But I haven't done anything to need protecting from?"

"But you- she said you'd done some illegal stuff while I was away. She was going to tell the press!"

Tony's face dropped even more, if that was possible, exhaustion pulled at his eyes as sorrow pulled at all of his other features. "Peter, I haven't done anything illegal. Nothing at all. She was lying to you."

"She- I-" Peter stared up at Tony, his eyes wide as his brain tried to process what he was hearing. "She was just playing me? All this time?"

"I'm sorry kid, but it seems so. You can stop, she doesn't hold anything over you, I'll get her felt with, I promise."

More tears streaked down Peter's face, tears of relief and pain and embarrassment and regret and self hate, but Tony just pulled him to his chest, and whispered soothing words, and promised they would get through it all.

And Peter wouldn't have to be alone.

Because they would do it together.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!!  
> I hope you have an amazing week!!


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